The Top Five Religous Trends to Watch in 2016

From Huffington-

Silicon Beach Venture Capitalists Venture into Religion

The tech industry isn't the only one innovating these days. Several groups essentially serve as the R&D divisions for long-standing religious institutions in Southern California. Holy Ground in Long Beach and Thad's in Santa Monica are "off-the-books" laboratories of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles where the beliefs and rituals that have traditionally defined mainline Protestantism are pulled apart and reassembled in remarkable ways. Similar experimental enclaves exist within Jewish and Muslim communities.

More here-

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-sweas/the-top-five-religion-tre_b_8912774.html

Abortion case at Supreme Court gets personal

From USA Today-

Those telling their stories generally became pregnant while attending prestigious universities such as Harvard and Stanford, a way station to their successful careers. Had they not decided on abortions, they said, their lives would have been changed forever by a single mistake.

"If the Reverend Anne Fowler had not had access to an abortion when she accidentally became pregnant after enrolling in Divinity School, she would never have been able to graduate, to serve as a parish rector, or to help the enormous number of people whose lives she has touched," the brief says of an Episcopal priest who had an abortion in 1981, before she was married.

Others went on to become a professor, a neuropsychologist, a childhood education specialist and a doctor whose willingness to perform abortions led her to wear a bulletproof vest on her way to and from work.

More here-

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/01/05/abortion-supreme-court-choice-women-kennedy/78304022/

Episcopal bishop calls for 'disciplinary proceedings' in St. George's School sex abuse case

From Rhode Island-

The Episcopal bishop of Rhode Island is calling for "appropriate disciplinary proceedings" against three people named in recent reports of sexual abuse at St. George's School in Middletown in the 1970s and 1980s.

The Rt. Rev. W. Nicholas Knisely said in a statement Tuesday that he is in contact with Rhode Island State Police, "and I am following their direction as the investigation is being carried out" into the episodes discussed in a report issued by the school in December and in media coverage.

"As of this morning, two Episcopal priests and a third person who has worked in Episcopal congregations have been named in the report or ensuing media coverage," Bishop Knisely wrote in a letter to clergy released shortly after a Boston news conference about sexual abuse at the elite private school.

More here-

http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20160105/NEWS/160109647

Also here-

http://www.golocalprov.com/news/new-episcopal-bishop-apologizes-for-sexual-abuse-at-st.-georges

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY PUSHING HIS OWN LIBERAL AGENDA, SAYS MP

From The Tablet-

New year message neglected the needs of Christians 'Guardian world view'

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s new year message prioritised his left-wing, liberal agenda over the needs of Christians, a Tory MP has claimed.

David Davies, Conservative MP for Monmouth in Wales, wrote a stinging criticism of the message - which called on Britons to welcome refugees - on his website this morning.

“How wonderfully saintly it must feel to sleep at night with an easy conscience knowing that you have roundly condemned the wicked politicians and bigots who worry about mass migration without actually having to take difficult decisions yourself and live with the consequences,” he wrote.

“Church leaders seem more comfortable preaching the world of the Guardian than the word of God,” he added.

In his new year address Archbishop Justin Welby called on Christians to defeat extremism with love and hospitality.

More here-

http://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/2925/0/archbishop-of-canterbury-pushing-his-own-liberal-agenda-says-mp

Pope Francis Shares 10 New Year's Resolutions With Vatican Employees And The World

From Latin Times-

Known for his sensible advice (including his 10 steps to achieve happiness), Pope Francis gave out some New Year’s resolutions for everyone at the Vatican and the world. And even though they are deeply rooted in Catholic teachings, these can apply to many different aspects of life including spirituality, work and relationships, amongst others. If you already have your resolutions all set, take a moment to review these and maybe you can implement them as ways to live. Happy New Year!

1. “Take care of your spiritual life, your relationship with God, because this is the backbone of everything we do and everything we are.”

More here-

http://www.latintimes.com/pope-francis-shares-10-new-years-resolutions-vatican-employees-and-world-362451

Anglicans Fearing Permanent Split Over Gay Marriage as Bishops Threaten to Walk Out

From Christian Post-

The issue of gay marriage is threatening to split apart the Anglican Communion ahead of an important summit in Canterbury in England next week, with African and Asian leaders threatening to walk out on Archbishop Justin Welby.

Mail Online reported that Welby is preparing for a "make of break" effort at the summit in order to keep the Anglican churches together despite disagreements over homosexuality.

Although Welby and the Church of England have remained opposed to the legalization of gay marriage, a number of bishops within the Anglican Communion, including American church leaders as part of the Episcopal tradition, have backed the practice.

This has drawn deep discontent from more conservative African and Asian bishops, who remain strongly opposed to any approval of same-sex unions.


Read more at

http://www.christianpost.com/news/anglicans-gay-marriage-permanent-split-over-same-sex-unions-africa-asia-bishops-threaten-walk-out-154046/#20g1rihAu46Z8Cic.99

Anglican Bishops Fear a Lasting Schism Over Gay Marriage, Threaten to Walk Out of Summit in Canterbury

From The Blaze-

The Anglican Communion faces staunch division in anticipation of a summit that will be held next week in Canterbury, England. The issue of gay marriage has long been a controversial subject among Protestant Christians, and some churches like the Presbyterian Church USA have opted to include same-sex couples in their marriage ceremonies.

Though the Church of England has refused to support the legalization of gay marriage, many bishops within the Anglican Communion, including American church officials belonging to the Episcopal tradition, have endorsed the practice.

This has now led to a deep divide between Anglican clerics.

African and Asian bishops who firmly reject any approval of same-sex unions have already threatened to walk out on Archbishop Justin Welby during next week’s summit unless the liberal supporters of gay marriage “repent” or the archbishop throws them out, the Daily Mail reported.

More here-

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/01/04/anglican-bishops-fear-a-lasting-schism-over-gay-marriage-threaten-to-walk-out-of-summit-in-canterbury/

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s New Year Message

From ACNS-

Marsh Academy is a school in my own diocese of Canterbury. Today, I’ve been meeting and chatting to some of the students – an experience I found very uplifting.

I had the honour to meet, privately, an inspiring boy, who at just 14 fled his homeland in North Africa after soldiers stormed his school and attempted to abduct him. He was saved by a courageous teacher but was so terrified that it would happen again he decided to escape. This is just one example of the many desperate journeys children are making on their own to save their lives.

This school represents the best of what we can do in this country. It welcomes, it loves, it serves, it teaches and equips people and demonstrates our ability to live up to our long established tradition of warmth and hospitality.

More here-

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/01/the-archbishop-of-canterburys-new-year-message.aspx

The curse of the via media

From The Living Church-

The cherished Episcopalian notion, that we are a church of right-thinking, reasonable people, is going to be the death of us. Don’t get me wrong: I am all for right thinking and reason in equal measure, and indeed compromise, and some sort of Anglican via media may indeed be found to be the solution amidst the church’s present agonizing over its own identity. But moderation as the keynote of any sort of Christian identity is deeply problematic — ahem, Laodicea — not least because the hidden sting in the tail of the via media is that it demonizes conflict. We don’t fight; we’re right-thinking, reasonable people — who already know the right, reasonable solution to whatever it is that we’re not fighting about. The paradox, and indeed the curse of the via media, is that it is not something you can assume to have achieved, or even assume you will be able to achieve, in advance because you or your tradition has always done so in the past. The surest way not to arrive is to assume that you are already there.

More here-

http://livingchurch.org/covenant/2016/01/04/the-curse-of-the-via-media/

Desmond Tutu’s lesbian daughter weds

From StarFM-

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu, who is a lesbian got married on Wednesday.

Her lesbian marriage stands in stark contrast to her Tutu parents, who recently renewed their wedding vows on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary.

Mpho Tutu exchanged vows in a small private ceremony, with her longtime partner Professor Marceline Furth in Oegstgeest a town and municipality in the province of South Holland in western Netherlands. Their wedding will be celebrated in Cape Town in May.

Furth is a professor in Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the Vrije University in Amsterdam and Tutu is currently the executive director of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, and holds the Desmond Tutu Chair in Medicine at the university.

This is the second marriage for both. Canon Tutu, the youngest daughter of Desmond and Leah Tutu, was married to Joseph Burris. They had two daughters, Nyaniso and Onalenna.

More here-

http://starrfmonline.com/1.8524817

Newport News church helps those struggling with homelessness

From Virginia-

St. Paul's Episcopal Church brings together food and faith in its efforts to help individuals and families struggling with homelessness. The church is a landmark of downtown Newport News — its building was constructed in 1900 — and has developed a close community with its volunteers and regular visitors.

Father Richard Budd, the interim pastor at St. Paul's for the past two years, said his most rewarding aspect of the church's homeless outreach is the Bible study he participates in twice a week.

"I love to do them," he said. "There are very knowledgeable people with strong religious backgrounds that attend regularly. We have great discussions, and we're able to make applications to daily life."

More here-

http://www.dailypress.com/news/newport-news/dp-nws-fund-st-pauls-20160103-story.html

Repent or we quit say bishops in gays feud: Anglican church could split in challenge to Welby's authority

From The Daily Mail-

Church leaders from Africa and Asia are threatening to walk out of a crucial meeting chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury unless American bishops drop their support for gay marriage.

Archbishop Justin Welby last year invited the leaders of the worldwide Anglican Church to the summit in Canterbury next week in a ‘make or break’ effort to avert a permanent split over homosexuality.

The row has torn the Church apart for a decade – with conservatives accusing liberals of abandoning the word of God by backing openly gay bishops and marriages for gay couples – and the Archbishop wants to broker a deal to allow both sides to co-exist peacefully.
More here-

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3382369/Repent-quit-say-bishops-gays-feud-Anglican-church-split-challenge-Welby-s-authority.html

Multiple sites a trend for worship

From Pittsburgh-

As one worship service was letting out at Orchard Hill Church in the Cultural District late on a Sunday morning, another was just ramping up about a mile away at Amplify Church in the Strip District.

Each featured high-energy, guitar-led worship with lyrics projected on screens, and each was using a rented space originally designed for entertainment.

And there was another similarity: The worshipers were many miles from their mother churches, occupying very different spaces from the large suburban buildings with ample parking.

The Franklin Park-based Orchard Hill Church rents the theater and other space at the August Wilson Center Downtown on Sundays, while the Plum-based Amplify Church uses a former nightclub on Smallman Street.

More here-

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2016/01/03/Nearly-two-thirds-of-largest-churches-now-call-more-than-one-address-home/stories/201512280028

Same sex ruling tops RNA’s Top 10 list

From Georgia- (came in at #23)


The legalization of same sex marriage topped the Religion Newswriters Association’s annual list of Top 10 Religion Stories of the Year.

Pope Francis was named Religion Newsmaker of the Year for the third year in a row. The Syrian immigrant crisis, the rise of anti-Muslim sentiment and fatal shootings at a South Carolina church also made the list of Top 10 stories.

The pope earned the Religion Newsmaker of the Year honor this time by enthralling masses and infuriating others with his appeals to the poor and marginalized, his denunciations of greed and environmental destruction and his charismatic presence while visiting the United States, Africa and Latin America.

More here-

http://times-herald.com/news/2016/01/same-sex-ruling-tops-rnas-top-10-list

Fire Severely Damages Historic Church In West Orange, NJ

From Newark- with video-

A large fire severely damaged a historic church in West Orange, New Jersey.

The blaze broke out around 5 a.m. Friday at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Main Street. Video from the scene showed massive flames piercing through the windows and the roof of the church.

“First arriving company encountered heavy smoke and a large body of fire on the second floor,” said West Orange Deputy Fire Chief Albert Souza.

The church has been there for more than 150 years, CBS2’s Christine Sloan reported.

“It’s horrible,” said resident Jim Rose. “This was a church that’s been here as long as I have been here.”

More here-

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/01/01/west-orange-church-fire/

Hospitality is Archbishop's New Year theme

From The Church Times-

THE “most formidable weapons against hatred and extremism” are hospitality and love, the Archbishop of Canterbury said in his New Year message.

The Archbishop said that he had been inspired by “extraordinary people” at Marsh Academy, a school in his diocese, including a 14-year-old boy who had fled his home in North Africa after soldiers stormed his school and attempted to abduct him. The boy was rescued by a teacher but fled in fear of a repeat attack. He was one of many children making “desperate journeys” alone to save their lives, Archbishop Welby said. “The hospitality of people here brings love, hope and joy. If we imitate them society becomes a far better place.”

More here-

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2016/1-january/news/uk/hospitality-is-archbishops-new-year-theme

Grace Episcopal Church to host forum on race relations

From Western NC-

Grace Episcopal Church will host a forum on race relations on Jan. 22 and 23 called, “Listen for a Change: Sacred Conversations for Racial Justice.”

The forum will be live-streamed from Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church in New York City to dozens of locations across 34 states and several provinces in Canada. It will feature twelve keynote speakers with backgrounds in academia, theology, media, grassroots activism and more. All have had a particular focus on race during their careers, according to a press release from Trinity Wall Street.
The press release said that forum topics will provide “life-giving conversations on the racial issues of our time, including structural racism, mass incarceration, and policy change, (for those) interested in a practical, theological perspective on racial equality.”

More here-

http://www.morganton.com/community/grace-episcopal-church-to-host-forum-on-race-relations/article_03a07b44-b096-11e5-8a62-b7bb84e37488.html

Justin Welby to call on public to show refugees generosity and love

From The Guardian-

The archbishop of Canterbury is to call on the public to show generosity and love to refugees as a way of countering hatred and extremism in the world.

In his new year message to be broadcast by the BBC on Friday, Justin Welby will draw attention to Britain’s “long-established tradition of warmth and hospitality”.

British people, he will say, have always welcomed strangers, the poor and the weak: “In today’s world hospitality and love are our most formidable weapons against hatred and extremism.”

The mounting refugee crisis has preoccupied the Church of England and other faith communities throughout 2015. The leaders of the main religions in the UK have called on the government to increase the number of refugees fleeing conflict and persecution that the UK accepts.
More here-

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/01/archbishop-of-canterbury-justin-welby-refugees-generosity-love

Authorities to partiers: Resolve to behave well

From Kansas-

In McPherson, St. Anne’s Episcopal Church will continue its tradition of offering free “tipsy taxi” rides to New Year’s Eve celebrants in McPherson.

“It’s a lot of fun. We get a lot of, of course, interesting people in interesting conditions,” St. Anne’s Father Laird MacGregor said.

Volunteers drive, and there are always two volunteers in a “tipsy taxi.” The rides usually end around 1:30 or 2 a.m. on New Year’s Day, MacGregor said.

“I’m probably going to be driving or riding,” said MacGregor, who will be part of a taxi crew tonight.

More here-

http://www.hutchnews.com/news/local_state_news/authorities-to-partiers-resolve-to-behave-well/article_3452142e-6e34-5355-8c8f-700fa6e2a505.html

Former church treasurer mulling plea offer

From Albany-

HUDSON FALLS - The former church treasurer who was arrested in August and charged with stealing nearly $11,000 from Zion Episcopal Church, is discussing a plea deal in the case.


Thomas Thompson, 59, of Moreau, was arrested Aug. 7 after an investigation by Hudson Falls Police and State Police into the theft of at least $10,888 from the Main Street church’s accounts. That inquiry began after the IRS fined the church for not filing federal tax paperwork that Thompson was supposed to have filed, resulting in several thousand dollars in penalties, according to Hudson Falls Police.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said his office has been discussing possible resolutions to the grand larceny case, with the amount of restitution that would be paid still at issue. A Washington County grand jury has not been asked to review the case yet, pending a possible plea agreement.


More here-


http://poststar.com/news/blotter/former-church-treasurer-mulling-plea-offer/article_3986f439-3d04-514d-b050-c74c96d3c062.html

Six controversies that rocked churches as men of the cloth got into trouble

From Standard Digital-

Another major episode was when Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Archbishop Eliud Wabukala was taken to court by church members Joseph Chege, Elijah Waweru, Harrison Ndoro and Erastus Mwangi, over a succession row in the Mt Kenya region.

Wabukala was accused of failing to address protests by members over bullying during the selection of the region's bishop.

The four asked the court to block Wabukala from convening an electoral college to further probe three individuals selected for the regional seat, up until the case is heard and determined.

Cases of pastors involved in road fatalities also took centre stage in news covered.

This included Pastor James Ng'ang'a of Neno Evangelism Centre and Bishop Thomas Wahome Njuguna of Helicopter Ministries.

More here-

http://www.sde.co.ke/article/2000186573/six-controversies-that-rocked-churches-as-men-of-the-cloth-got-into-trouble/

J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, The Great War and This Present Darkness

From Christian Week-

In the wake of the Paris and Beirut attacks, it is easy to feel a darkness descending. What hope is there when people are willing to do such terrible and heinous things to others?

If there is any comfort in history, it is in knowing that we are not the first to feel this way, or go through this experience.

Two men who experienced the worst that humans can do to each other were J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the Lord of the Rings, and C.S. Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia.

Both men were soldiers in the British army on the western front in World War One. Tolkien participated in two attacks, in July and October, 1916, including one where he was in combat for 50 straight hours.

On November 8 of that year, he was sent to hospital with trench fever. He never returned to the front—which probably saved his life.

More here-

http://www.christianweek.org/j-r-r-tolkien-c-s-lewis-great-war-present-darkness/

11 Arrested for Being Gay in Senegal—Is President Obama to Blame?

From The Daily Beast-

Reports from the West African nation of Senegal say that the government has arrested 11 people accused of homosexual acts. If convicted, those accused—who were rounded up at a “celebration of a gay marriage”—face up to five years in prison.

Incidents like this are rare, but not unprecedented, particularly in West Africa. Similar arrests have taken place in Nigeria, Gambia, and Cameroon. But it may be, in part, a backlash against American efforts.

In 2013, in what was seen across Africa as an overbearing attempt to influence policy, President Obama raised the issue of LGBT equality with Senegalese president Macky Sall. But President Sall doubled down, saying that Senegal would decide its own laws—and adding that it had banned the death penalty, thus putting it ahead of the United States on at least one human rights issue. In March, 2014, Senegal sentenced two men to six months each in prison, for the crime of homosexuality.

More here-

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/30/11-arrested-for-being-gay-in-senegal-is-president-obama-to-blame.html

Holyoke Episcopal parish initiates mission outreach to Latino worshipers

From Western Mass.-

The Right Rev. Douglas J. Fisher, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, will visit a diocesan parish here in the process of forming a new mission for Latino worshipers.

Misión de Gracia (Mission of Grace) at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 485 Appleton St., is a joint Episcopal-Lutheran congregation funded in part by a $30,000 grant from the United Thank Offering of The Episcopal Church.

Funding for Mission of Grace is also being provided by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Fisher will preach and preside at the 10 a.m. Sunday service. Fisher, who visits all of the 57 congregations in the diocese once every two years, will be greeted by the Rev. Barbara Thrall, rector of St. Paul's.

More here-

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/12/holyoke_episcopal_parish_initi.html

Uganda Pastor Killed Amid Ongoing Islamic Attacks

From Uganda-

Evangelical church members in eastern Uganda are mourning a pastor who was killed  amid ongoing Islamic attacks against Christian converts in the region.

Pastor Bongo Martin was hacked to death when he and other church members resisted an effort by Muslims to take over their land, local Christians said.

The Christians arrived when Muslims reportedly placed a boundary fence with poles and barbed wire around land of the Pentecostal Church Ministry congregation in Nansololo village near Mazuba, in Namudumba District.

More here-

http://www.bosnewslife.com/36084-uganda-pastor-killed-amid-ongoing-islamic-attacks

I’m an evangelical preacher. You can’t be pro-life and pro-gun.

From The Washington Post-

In the United States, evangelicals are among the biggest supporters of gun rights. They are the major religious group least likely to support stricter laws. Evangelical Larry Pratt, who directs Gun Owners of America, even argues that all Christians should be armed.

For most of my adult life, I agreed. I believed that we had a God-given right to defend ourselves. I also believed that the Second Amendment guarantees a right to bear arms, and that anyone should be able to obtain a gun.

Then, I saw the after-effects of gun violence firsthand. In Pennsylvania, I visited the families of five murdered Amish schoolgirls, as well as the family of the shooter. And I watched as a mass shooting unfolded at the Washington Navy Yard, across from where I lived at the time. These experiences, followed by careful theological and moral reflection, left me convinced that my family of faith is wrong on guns.

More here-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/12/28/im-evangelical-you-cant-be-pro-life-and-pro-gun/

Welby: “Christians face Middle East elimination”

From Evangelical Focus-

Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury Cathedral in Kent compared the Daesh to the Biblical King Herod who ordered the massacre of the innocents in an attempt to kill the Christ child, during his Christmas sermon. 

"Today, across the Middle East, close to the area in which the angels announced God's apocalypse, Isis and others claim that this is the time of an apocalypse, an unveiling created of their own terrible ideas, one which is igniting a trail of fear, violence, hatred and determined oppression", he said. 

Welby affirmed that because Islamic terrorists are "Confident that these are the last days, using force and indescribable cruelty, they seem to welcome all opposition, certain that the warfare unleashed confirm that these are indeed the end times."


More here-

http://evangelicalfocus.com/lifetech/1244/Welby_Christians_face_Middle_East_elimination

Spong applauds removal of Confederate flags from St. Paul's on 60th anniversary of ministry

From Richmond-

That the leadership of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church elected recently to remove Confederate images from its walls delights John Shelby Spong, who oversaw the church during a watershed moment in state and local history.

The move took courage, his daughter said Sunday, as did Spong’s decision in the 1970s to support a federal judge’s decision to order and then expand a school busing program aimed at eliminating racial disparities in education.

“Courage is the hallmark of St. Paul’s and of those like my father who have led and lead this remarkable church,“ Ellen Spong said at a service marking the 60th anniversary of her father’s ordination.

More here-

http://www.richmond.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_8ffbb046-081d-51e8-b7b1-187e42d81246.html

Anglican Priest Smears the Virgin Mary

From Patheos-

Just when you thought the Anglicans couldn’t stoop much lower, in a disgusting article published, predictably, on Christmas Eve, Anglican priest-journalist Giles Fraser not only publicly denies the Virgin Birth, but he ridicules the idea, proposes that the Blessed Virgin Mary was just another teen fornicator and that it’s probably a good thing that Jesus was a bastard conceived when Mary had a romp with a Roman soldier.

I’m surprised that he didn’t title his article, “That’s Why Our Lady is a Tramp”

The crass arrogance of Fraser’s article in London’s  The Guardian is only superseded by its ignorance. Fraser writes,

More here- 

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2015/12/anglican-priest-smears-the-virgin-mary.html

Mansion built for Jesus’ return is on the market for $10M

From The New York Post-

Even Jesus has been priced out of Manhattan.

In Riverdale, The Bronx, on the second highest peak in all five boroughs, sits a mansion fit for a king — and we don’t mean LeBron James.

The house, variously known as Chapel Farm, Fair Hill or Chapel Hill, was built in the 1920s for one special resident to live in: Jesus Christ.

The idea was, when Jesus returned to earth (via the 1 train, presumably), he would decamp to The Bronx and rule from this opulent, 17-room dwelling. It’s a promising sign for those living in the northernmost borough, which will apparently survive the wars, famine, disease, earthquakes and anarchy the Bible predicts to signal the end of days.

And soon, all this could be yours. It’s set to hit the market in February for $10 million.

More here-

http://nypost.com/2015/12/27/mansion-built-for-jesus-is-on-the-market-for-10m/